I’ve subscribed to Little Passports for about a year. I am an affiliate, so there are links below that are affiliate links, but I also received two free boxes of Little Passports with my affiliate account. However, each box I’ve received since is on my own dime and my thoughts below are all my own.

What are we learning about today? Little Passport is taking us to France!

Little Passports is a fun way to introduce kids to France

France holds a special place in our family’s heart. We only lived a few hours away when we lived in Germany, so that meant frequent trips across the border. However, even though we’ve been there many times, by the time we received the Little Passports France subscription box it had been at least 2 years since our last trip.

The letter

Letter from Sam and Sofia – I appreciate that they started off with a visit to the French Alps before heading to Paris. They eat at a boulangerie (which had me missing real french baguettes with real french butter and real french coffee). They learn about the french holiday King’s day, or Epiphany. After their trip, they take a brief tour of France and send us the pictures… more on all of this in a moment.

The postcard

The postcard shows Sam and Sofia in front of the Eifel Tower. It’s more than just a symbol of Paris or France. It is icon for travel.

The activity sheet

The printed France activities include a fill in the blank of famous french locations, a recipe for the Epiphany cake (which is very different from the popular Mardi Gras king’s cake in New Orleans, a maze to get down one of the mountains in the French Alps.

The souvenir

The special souvenir Sam and Sofia really is special. It’s the camera they used to take pictures during their France tour. It’s like a viewmaster, except shaped like a camera and allows kids to click through four images of France. The images are of Colmar (which is a place we loved so much, it’s what we named our Elf on the Shelf after), Versailles, the French Parliament, and the Castle of Angers. Even though we’ve had the box for awhile, my kids still love clicking through the picture. (Side note: just this morning my daughter was clicking through it going, oh nice! A castle! Oh!)

If you subscribe to Epic! they have a ton of books, audiobooks, and videos about France. If you don’t subscribe, you should. Especially if you also subscribe to Little Passports. For a small fee you can easily access so many books. You can get a free 30-day trial here.

I opted for the World Explorer subscription because of my kids’ ages, personal interests, and this website.

Because I knew I was going to review them, I actually waited until I received a few packages before really examining them. I wanted to check out the quality consistency. I didn’t want to encourage or discourage a subscription based on one mailing. So, this is what happened when I received the first box.

Reviewing the First Box of the Little Passports World Edition Subscription Box

The first box I received set up the whole system. It introduced us to Sam & Sophia and the tools our family will use as we travel the world with Little Passports. The biggest item in the box? A cool colorful suitcase which is to be used store the items in the future packages. Along with the suitcase, we received items that set things up for future mailings.

An introduction letter from Sam & Sofia, the kids who will be sending us packages as they travel around the world. Each package we receive afterward includes a letter from the kids talking about their adventures.

A postcard – this time of the scooter they’re using to get around the world, but in the future is a picture of a destination they visited.

An activity sheet. In this case, the sheet is for worldwide activities. In the future, they’re based on the places Sam & Sofia wrote about in their letter.

A passport. The blank passport has a few questions to encourage kids to talk to their parents about travel. It also includes places to put stickers we’ll receive from the different destinations the kids go to.

A map. Chart the destinations on the map with a sticker pin to mark the spot each month.

A luggage tag. The luggage tag can be added to the suitcase handle, but even better it includes a secret code for more online fun. The first luggage tag you receive requires you to create an account to access the activities. Then the dashboard is updated everytime you add a new secret code. The first code offers 3 different world-based activities. Since my kids are on the lower range of the recommended ages, the trivia questions are too complicated for them. But the other activities are fun.

My thoughts on the first box? Loved the quality. The suitcase is awesome and sturdy. Looking at the empty box, though, and all I wanted to do is fill it up! I was ready to jump into the adventure and start learning about the places they were going to visit. This was the set-up. The packing or journey, if you will. But, I found myself really wanting to get to the destination. Are we there yet? Or, better, when will we get the first country? Don’t get me wrong – there was plenty to keep us busy. I just wanted to get arrive.

Overview of Little Passport boxes since the first package

Since that first package, I have received 5 more countries and counting. I will review them individually, but overall I’m pleased with what’s included. The letters cover a variety of country-specific details. Yet, they manage to keep it simple and to the point.The activities sheets can be anything from puzzles, recipes, or crafts.

There are stickers to pin on the map, put in the passport, and place on the suitcase. The postcard usually represents something mentioned in the letter, and the luggage tag is a cute accessory by itself – even better with the secret code to access online games. Each country also includes a souvenir. I love the variety the kids have received so far. Some of them are crafts, some of them mimic real souvenirs a friend might send, and others are little tokens.

I like the combination of having the familiar letter, activity sheet, postcard, and stickers with the surprise souvenir. It keeps the kids guessing.

Overall, I think the Little Passports is a fun way to help kids learn more about the world. Kids love to get mail. I love them learning about the world. Bonus points for doing both. Prior to shipping, Little Passports will email the parent to make sure there’s nothing else they want to add to the package. That makes ordering extras convenient.

Pretty cool stuff, eh?

If you’re looking for a fun way to show your kids the world, check out their site here.

Every month I will showcase one of the country packages I received from Little Passports. These won’t be in the order I received them. I’ll review the contents, how I use them, and other resources that I find that help you take full advantage of the subscription if you decide to get it. Be on the lookout for the first review, France, coming soon.

For the many of us who aren’t heading over there – I have good news. Along with the plenty of books in our directory, there are several subscription boxes available that offer a nice, at-home, Brazil experience.

Please note: Some of the links are affiliate links. But all of the opinions are my own.

Little Passports Subscription Box for Brazil

I think it’s a little late to receive the Brazil box before the Olympics, but what a perfect way to remind kids of their Brazil-love afterward. The package includes a letter from Sam and Sofia, information about native animals, stickers to place on an included map, passport, and suitcase, plus a small gift that is best described as a treasure. Yes, a treasure. In fact, I wasn’t ready to share it with my kids.

To round out the “stuff” there are also some related activities, a recipe for one of Brazil’s most popular desserts, and a password that gives you access to online fun. All of these little pieces do wonders to spark a child’s interest.

Try the World Subscription Box for Brazil

If you sign up for Try the World (and use code “kidstravelbooks” for a 15% discount) RIGHT now, you’ll get the Brazil box filled with treats and yummies from our favorite 2016 host country. I just received my box a short time ago and let me say – it is packed! I want to say my favorite thing about the box is that all these items are things I’ve never seen at my local grocery store. But, I think what I love most is that they include a “How to use your Brazil Box” insert and the theme is “Host a Summer Churrasco Party”. Don’t mind if I do.

The menu includes six different items/recipes and suggestions – and I want to try them all. In fact, that’s my plan for next Friday. During our Olympics Opening Ceremonies party.

No pictures of our party now and I apologize. I wanted to get this post out sooner so that you can order if you want to. Maybe you’ll get it for the Opening Ceremonies, but if not you can dine during your favorite sport, or wait until the closing night celebration.

As I said earlier, Brazil is the box currently available for new subscribers. If you are looking at this later, you may be able to get the box here. Otherwise, you can order the items (and more) individually.

Surprise Ride Subscription Box for Brazil

I haven’t received a full or partial box from Surprise Ride. I actually just learned about them last week.

Last week I found out that the same book, Molly Goes to Rio de Janeiro, was part of the Surprise Ride subscription box under the theme Brazil and the Olympics. Awesome!

If you haven’t bought Molly Goes to Rio de Janeiro – this is the time and this is the way to do it. Surprise Ride comes with the book, games, snacks, crafts, and more. It really looks like a lot of fun. And even though I haven’t experienced it myself, I can say that any friend of Molly’s a friend of mine.

And then I had a kid.

He was too young to enjoy a Little Passports subscription as a newborn, but the moment he seemed aware enough I tried to figure out how to get the subscription to Germany.

Can I ship it directly to Germany? Nope, not really worth the extra shipping fee and customs hassle (because customs is REALLY a hassle). And I’m pretty sure they didn’t offer that option.

Can I ship it to my parents and have them bring it when they visit? Maybe… but, their valuable suitcase space is needed for all the things I need from Target, and, um, maybe their own clothes.

So I waited.

And then we moved to the U.S.

Last year we moved back to the U.S. We lived in an apartment for a while. Hello moving stress. Hello reacclimation to life stateside. And HELLO intense nostalgia for the travel life we weren’t doing because we were settling in.

I couldn’t invite Little Passports into our life just yet, I would be jealous of Sam & Sofia’s adventures.

Now? Get ready for Little Passports

Now that we’re settled and travel has reentered our routine, I’m ready for Little Passports. Yay!

But, wait. What’s this? I checked out the site I noticed they had a book.

A travel book.

For kids.

In essence, a kids’ travel book.

Seeing as that’s what my website is called, I figured I should get my hands on it.

Max, Mia, and Toby visit each of the seven continents. At each stop, they “send” something to the reader in an envelope. Each envelope represented something about the place they visited, but each was different. They were interactive for kids and appropriate for the place they visited.

I don’t want to give too much away of what was in the envelopes. Discovering it with them is part of the fun.

The Little Passports website says the books are good for ages 3+. I agree. My daughter is 3 and she was immediately drawn in by the colorful drawings. My 5-year-old son loved the activities. I caught him looking through the book several times since we received it.

They liked revisiting places they’ve visited before. I loved introducing them to new places.

Obviously, a children’s book with a premise of world travel is only going to have an overview of the countries. This is not, nor is it meant to be, an in-depth analysis of any one city or country. And definitely not the whole world. It succeeds at getting little kids interested in the world. Which is the point, right?

Subscribing to Little Passports

Another accomplishment for Max, Mia, and Toby’s book is that it makes kids want more. Now that I’ve seen how my kids interact with the Little Passports’ product, I’m definitely ready to subscribe.

Since my kids are 3 and 5 and I don’t want them fighting over contents, I’m ordering two subscriptions. My 3 year old will get the Early Explorers subscription. I think she’ll love learning about the world themes that subscription provides. My five year old will be receiving the World Edition. He already has so much interest in different countries, sites, and activities that I know he’ll love it. There’s also an option for older kids wanting to know more about the United States.

For a quick overview of the types of subscriptions, check below. Click on the subscription name for more details including sample kits and prices.

I’m going to try these out for a few months, post updates on my Facebook feed, and review it here sometime at the end of the summer. In the meantime, let me know if you’ve tried the Little Passports subscription in the comments. (Update: you can read my review of the World Explorers box here.)

Please note: There are affiliate links in this post. I received the Max, Mia, and Toby’s Adventures around the World Souvenir book in exchange for my review. This didn’t influence how I felt about the book, the words and opinions are my own. I will be receiving a free 3-month subscription of Little Passports as part of the affiliate program, however, I am purchasing the other subscription separately. Again, my thoughts about the product are real and my review will be my own words and opinion. Thank you!

Kids Travel Books is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.